MLB.com's Carrie Muskat has been covering Major League Baseball since 1981 and is the author of "Banks to Sandberg to Grace: Five Decades of Love and Frustration with the Cubs." You can follow her on Twitter @CarrieMuskat. Here, she blogs about the Cubs.

8/12 Extra bases: Castro

Starlin Castro had multiple hits in each game of the Cubs’ four-game series vs. the Giants. He went 4-for-5 on Thursday, and had two hits in each of the other three games. It’s the third time this season he has recorded a multi-hit game in each contest of a series. Castro also did so against the Phillies May 19-20 and against the Brewers Aug. 2-4. His four hits on Thursday tied a career high, which he set Aug. 4 against Milwaukee.

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Thank heavens for young Castro… can we build a team for next year around Colvin, Castro, Byrd and Soto…? Thanks to the lunacy of big Jim we are stuck with Soriano and Ramirez.

Ideally Hendry can work miracles and get rid of Fukudome and Ramirez, and is strong enough to not be tempted to re-sign DPLee.

So we are left with:

1. Colvin
2. Castro
3.
4. Byrd
5. Soto
6.
7. Soriano
8. De Witt

If you load in Ramirez at 6 (or anywhere else for that matter) it is hardly a terrifying line-up for an opposing pitcher. And very sub-standard defensively – only Byrd has been above average of next year’s likely starters.

Add in a likely rotation of:

1.
2. Dempster
3. Zambrano
4. Gorzellany
5. Silva / Wells

Bullpen of:
Marshall
Marmol
Cashner
Grabow
Guzman
Caridad
Mateo

Who should we be hunting for at first base…? Who should be the team “Ace”? Are we likely to sign a veteran RHP for the bullpen not called Howry?
How about demoting Marmol and putting in a run at Heath Bell?

Would Adrian Gonzalez join a team going nowhere fast for the next 2 years?

HELP PLEASE… Tommy Boy – big Jim is not up to rebuilding his previous mistakes.

Hustlelikereed, ughh!!! How sobering. I wouldn’g be too quick to pencil in DeWitt at 2B, hoping for a true lead-off hitter to be had. Stuck with Ramirez so put him at 1B since he can’t bend over anymore or move quickly left or right. Stuck with Soriano in left, maybe pick up a true lead-off guy in center move Byrd to right, Colvin to first if Ramirez is still “Hendry’s third baseman”. The bullpen? Yikes, can’t count on Caridad or Guzman just yet atlhough I hope they respond and perform to expectations. Grabow’s injury may effect him next year too so can’t count on him being healthy let alone GOOD. You are right…HELP WANTED BIG TIME. Place an ad NOW Ricketts and start with the GM position. No experience needed as that might be a step up from Hendry.

cubsrotten you have some valid points, the farm system is much better than the abysmal farm system prior to Wilken. But when you’re improving such a bad farm system anything promising will look terriffic. I would think Wilken deserves much if not all the credit for any good talent down there and not Hendry? You list many players, all of which are just hopefuls at this point and none are can’t misses comparable to other teams young players that produce at the big league level much sooner than most of the Cubs rookies we have seen, even during the Wilken years. VItters should be given some slack considering his age and injury however even yourself have brought up the point that his best position is unknown? Doesn’t that speak volumes regarding his skills at 3B where he is/was projected? Castro and Colvin are the only rookies that have really contributed this year. Castro is more the type player I refer to when mentioning much sooner production at the big league level. As much as I like Colvin, especially over Fukodome he is no juggernaut game changer but I do think he will only get better from the looks of his early play. He seems to have a good batting eye, hits lefties with authority, definatley he and Castro are deserving of giving SOMEBODY credit, not sure if Hendry deserves it because he didn’t plan on having these guys as regulars this year. Hence the 8 year Soriano deal, the 4 year Fukodome deal and the 3 year Byrd deal. What that tells us fans is Hendry had no intention of bringing up any outfielders to start in the forseeable future. Say you’re right about most of the kids, doesn’t that just compound how poorly Hendry has handled the ENTIRE ROSTER, not knowing who may be ready at what given season? He still to this day (Dewitt) acquires players that make us scratch our head, if Barney is the talent for 2012 to pair with Castro, then why get Dewitt? Trade bait? For who? Probably just another outfielder that will impede the promotion of one of the quality rookies you listed? I agree, give credit where credit is due and give Hendry a pink slip. Then we can all finally just finally get along….

hustle: If you follow the minor league system you would know it is in better shape than it has been in YEARS. You fail to mention the good that is quickly rising through the system: Carpenter, Jay Jackson, Hak Ju Lee, Brett Jackson, Aaron Shafer, Ryan Flaherty, Chris Rusin, Darwin Barney, Trey McNutt (a 21st round pick I might add) etc. That isn’t even mentioning the rookies that have contributed this year… Castro, Cashner, Colvin, Russell. Tim Wilkens is one of the very few VERY GOOD things about the Cubs organization this year.

Hoffauir and Lehair I agree with.. but don’t write off a 20 yr old in Vitters who has never spent a full season at any level. He has never been given the time to adjust at any level.. and once he seems to have.. he is promoted. It may be 2012.. but he will be with the Cubs at some time in the relatively near future. Position is more the question… most people think he will hit.

Look back at the drafts before Wilkens.. they were underwhelming to say the least. Mark Pawelek? Grant Johnson?

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